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Álvarez
Coat of Arms of GaliciaGalicia

Galician surnames

Discover the names in our family archive, where they appear across Ribeiro and Galicia, and the people and places behind each branch.

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34 Family names178 people in the tree25 local municipalities
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Surname atlas

Ribeiro and its surroundings · 2001 census

USC / Instituto da Lingua Galega · 2001 census. Spaces are accepted in compound names; ñ is kept distinct from n. Other surnames open in the official USC atlas.

Percentages count first and second surname occurrences in the 2001 census. They are not percentages of individual people.

Compare the municipalities

Share of surname occurrences in each municipality

Galicia reference · 1.585%

  • Ribadavia1.9752%
  • Cartelle6.8885%
  • Melón1.1453%
  • Castrelo de Miño6.4287%
  • Beade1.9114%
  • Cenlle2.3445%
  • Leiro1.7338%
  • A Arnoia6.7019%

Compare the municipalities

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10 / 41 names shown

Scroll sideways to compare all eight municipalities.

Compare the municipalities · Percentages count first and second surname occurrences in the 2001 census. They are not percentages of individual people.
SurnameRibadaviaCartelleMelónCastrelo de MiñoBeadeCenlleLeiroA ArnoiaAcross Galicia
8.7161%8.1672%9.9149%7.5287%7.7324%7.5649%7.8021%5.2803%4.6528%
1.9752%6.8885%1.1453%6.4287%1.9114%2.3445%1.7338%6.7019%1.585%
4.3037%5.761%5.7919%5.4999%2.6933%3.0947%5.8389%3.8993%2.4934%
5.4091%5.7198%5.9882%3.6421%3.649%9.9719%5.4309%7.3924%4.4008%
7.1215%4.8948%3.3704%6.2576%3.5621%8.5339%6.0173%4.3461%3.4588%
Regional0.1903%3.8499%—1.3933%—0.2501%—0.2843%0.0758%
3.7329%3.6986%6.25%3.1044%4.6916%5.4392%5.8389%3.818%2.0001%
0.3715%2.4749%—4.6688%0.5213%—0.204%0.4874%0.307%
1.7396%2.1587%0.4254%3.031%1.3032%3.7199%1.7338%0.7717%3.2972%
3.0352%2.1174%4.2866%2.2244%1.477%0.5002%1.0199%7.4736%2.2292%
Sources, spellings and how to read the figures

This is a selected comparison, not a ranking of every surname in Ribeiro. It includes 34 family-tree spellings, Díaz, Sousa and Armada from the original sheet, Puga, Mosquera and Sarmiento from our regional history, and Fonte as a separate spelling.

Exact spellings are kept separate: Fonte, Fuente and da Fonte have their own queries. Where the family records include a particle but the atlas has no exact entry, the comparison names the base spelling explicitly. A dash means the atlas publishes no row for that municipality; it is not a substituted zero.

A surname’s distribution does not establish kinship, a branch’s origin or ancestry. Cartelle is included because of its importance to this family’s research; these eight municipalities do not cover the whole Ribeiro comarca.

Original family comparison sheetUSC atlas methodology

Verified: October 3, 2026 · USC / Instituto da Lingua Galega

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12 of 34 names shown

Counts refer to people assigned this surname in the tree, not regional surname frequency.
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Recorded spelling

One person is recorded as “Vazquez / Gonzalez” and appears under both names as unresolved, outside their counts. One unnamed mother has no known surname. Original spellings and particles are preserved beside each person.

At the heart of our archive

Álvarez

Son of Álvaro

A father’s given name became a family name. Álvaro has ancient Germanic roots, although its exact meaning remains uncertain. In this archive, Álvarez anchors the family story in Castrelo de Miño and Cartelle, where its branches meet across generations.

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46people in the tree

One name, carried through generations. Many branches, each with a story of its own.

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  2. Meet the people

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  3. Discover their villages

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One name, different spellings

Try both accented and unaccented forms, such as Álvarez and Alvarez, Méndez and Mendez, or Fernández and Fernandez. A spelling match is a starting point; compare dates, places and relatives before connecting two records to the same person.

Exploring your family history

Where should I begin with Álvarez family research?

Start with the Álvarez surname page, then use the family tree and birthplace map to explore people and places. The histories of Cartelle, Castrelo de Miño and Ribadavia add regional context.

Does a shared surname prove that two people are related?

A shared surname alone does not establish a family relationship. Compare the available records, dates, places and documented relatives before joining two branches.

How can I connect a name to a place?

Use the family tree to explore an individual and their relationships, then visit the birthplace map. The linked regional histories introduce the villages and towns in the archive.

Sources & further reading

Sources and method

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Each name’s details link to its linguistic reference. Word meanings and possible place-name connections are identified as interpretations where a family origin has not been established.

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